Chris Harris of the Chicago Bears is a pretty chill dude, from what I know about him on Twitter. (Also, he was a Panther for a few years, so I was always a fan.) He seems to "get it" when it comes to online interaction, and if you hit him up on Twitter, he'll usually hit you back. Anyway, what he did for a Alex of Cheesehead.TV's father is pretty ridiculous. As you might guess, Alex is not a Bears fan. But his dad is, and via Twitter, page/GB">Packers+Lounge)">Alex was able to get Harris to ring up his dad on the old man's birthday.

John Smoltz -- who missed the cut by like 25 strokes, ouch -- wasn't the only celebrity golfer on the Nationwide Tour in Georgia this weekend. Former Georgia Bulldogs and current NFL players A.J. Green (just drafted by the Bengals) and Matthew Stafford (Lions quarterback) were on hand at the Stadion Classic in Athens, Georgia, to get some free lessons from a few pros.

Stafford, the veteran with a pretty sweet swing, got some tips from weekend winner Bubba Watson (well, Bubba won the PGA Tour event anyway). Having seen both of these guys in action, that'd be a fun pair to put in a foursome.

Meanwhile, the rookie Green, who has ... some work to do on his swing.

Fortunately for him, if the labor situation continues as it is, he's likely to have plenty of time to practice.

That’s because, according to the Detroit Free Press, Stafford - the oft-injured franchise QB who some might call, I don't know, a "china doll" - will participate in Georgia’s spring game Saturday, specifically during a Legends Quarterback Challenge that takes place during halftime.

Along with former Bulldogs standouts Eric Zeier, D.J. Shockey and David Greene, Stafford will compete in three skills challenges, including throwing passing routes to auction winners.

Fortunately for the Lions, the spring game occurs before the NFL draft, in case, you know, something else happens to Stafford’s shoulder.

If we’re to stick strictly to the metaphor here, a team that always finishes in ICU was at least hobbling around one of the more respectable rehabilitation wards when the 2010 season ended.

The Lions went 6-10, ranking 15th in points scored and 19th in points allowed (the 15th scoring offense ranking was partly due to a penchant for fun but unfulfilling garbage time comebacks). It’d be interesting to find out if the Lions brass would have been willing to trade the 6-10 finish for a 4-12 finish if had meant Matthew Stafford getting a chance to develop. This team likely would have been better than 6-10 had Stafford not missed 13 games with shoulder problems. But the point is, his development is crucial to the franchise’s long-term growth, and he didn’t develop while on the sidelines.

At least rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh developed. He went from “monster” early in the year to “mega monster” late. Suh headlined a revamped defensive line, which headlined a defense that still sorely needed revamping at the linebacker and secondary levels.

An unsung hero

How did this story slip through the cracks in 2010? Pettigrew, a first-round draft choice out of Oklahoma State in ’09, was operating at full strength on the field just nine months after tearing his ACL. In his return, the 265-pounder was an even quicker, more fluid runner than before.

Pettigrew’s newfound receiving prowess gave the offense an underneath dimension that was crucial in capitalizing on defenses rolling coverage over the top against Calvin Johnson. Augmenting this was Pettigrew’s ability to snag balls on the move.

Pettigrew’s newfound receiving prowess gave the offense an underneath dimension that was crucial in capitalizing on defenses rolling coverage over the top against Calvin Johnson. Augmenting this was Pettigrew’s ability to snag balls on the move.

1.CornerbackHaving a zone-based playmaker like an Asante Samuel would do wonders for Gunther Cunningham’s secondary. Last year’s corners were too focused on fundamentals to even listen to whatever instincts they may have had. It’s questionable whether Chris Houston is wanted back, and it should be questionable whether Alphonso Smith deserves to be welcomed back (at least to the starting lineup). Nate Vasher has experience in a Cover 2 scheme, but a few decent games down the stretch in Detroit don’t override his last few disastrous years in Chicago.

2. Outside LinebackerYou actually have to have a strong side to your game in order to be a starting strongside linebacker in the NFL. Which is why finesse-based journeyman Bobbie Carpenter is not the answer. Last year’s strongside ‘backer, Zack Follett, is penciled in as the replacement for gargantuan disappointment Julian Peterson on the weak side. Follett, however, doesn’t begin to have the necessary athleticism to play this position.

3. Interior Offensive LinemenCenter Dominic Raiola’s lack of power has become too much of an issue. An upgrade there could help keep thoroughly average guards Rob Sims and Stephen Peterman afloat.

The Lions could very well become the trendy pick of 2010. A lot of the hype will depend on how people feel about Stafford.

If he’s sharp, the Lions might be able to mask their middling offensive line. In that case, it would come down to how much the young secondary improves. If it’s lofty goals you like, 9-7 wouldn’t be an unfairly high bar for this club.

So, naturally, he did what anyone else would do -- fire up the video podcast machine, record a rambling short film in which he blamed Satan for his actions and post it on the Internet.

"Satan wants me to respond through the flesh and attack back" -- literal words spoken in that video. Now, there's no need for this to turn into a religious discussion, because, well, hey, do what you want and praise who you want.

Bad news and good news for Lions fans. The bad news is your franchise quarterback underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder Friday. The good news is, according to Tom Kowalski of MLive.com, Stafford should be 100 percent healthy for the Lions’ May minicamp.

This operation was not unexpected. Stafford injured his right shoulder twice during the 2010 season. Dr. James Andrews reportedly told the 23-year-old quarterback that his shoulder could heal without a procedure, but that going under the knife was better.

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King wrote in his MMQB this week that he’s hearing Stanford QB Andrew Luck is thinking about returning to college for another season and not becoming the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft.

Which would be a brutal blow for the Panthers (but, now that I think about it, a great twist for Jimmy Clausen).

That said, if Luck doesn’t come out for the 2011 Draft, who are some of the top candidates? The Charlotte Observer’s Joe Person has some ideas. Here’s his list (click on his link to see their pros and cons):

Some food for thought: QBs (Matthew Stafford and Sam Bradford) have been taken No. 1 in the past two Drafts and in 10 of the past 13 years. A WR hasn’t been taken No. 1 since the Jets grabbed Keyshawn Johnson in 1996. Dan Wilkinson was the last DT to go No. 1, and that occurred in 1994.

And for what it’s worth (and though Peterson and Amukamara won’t like to hear this), a cornerback has never been picked No. 1. And this thing has been going on since 1936.

Instead, perhaps Carolina should heed the advice of our fellow CBSSports.com bloggers: if Luck stays in school, perhaps the Panthers should avoid the heartache and simply trade down their pick.